Package feeder



Oct. 8, 1957 F. w. KNowLEs PACKAGE FEEDER Filed June 9. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In .ImIHHIH-H.

INVENTOR.

Oct. 8, 1957 F. w. KNowLr-:s 2,808,921

PACKAGE FEEDER Filed June 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United Sr The present invention relates to package feeder; and, in more particular, to a feeder whi-ch will move a pusher bar and a first row of packages transversely of the row from an original position to a subsequent package position, and which feeder will allow reestablishment of a second row in the original position while the first row is in movement and while the pusher bar is returning to original position.

One of the defects of prior devices has been that after feeding a row of packages, it was necessary to wait until the pusher bar had returned to its original position before a succeeding row could be moved into position for feeding. This has meant a long rest period for the feeder between each feeding cycle, and it has meant that the rate of travel of the feeder had to be very high to maintain a :desired rate, in fact, the rate of feed has been rnuch below that desired.

HavingV in mind these defects of the prior art it is an object ofthe present invention to design a package feeder in which there would be no rest period for the feeding mechanism between cycles.

Another object of the invention is the devising of a feeding mechanism in which the feed distance could be easily adjusted.

The above mentionedv objects are achieved and defects remedied ybyY a construction in which a pusher bar 'contacts one Vside of and moves a iirst row of packages tes Patent() horizontally and transversely of the row from an original position to a subsequent position parallel to the first position, in which the Vbar then lifts while it returns so as to pass over a seco-nd row of packages forming in the original place of the iirst row, and then the bar drops into its original position ready to repeat the cycle.

A package feeder constructed in accordance with the above outline is hereinafter described in detail and showin in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the left side of the feeder.

Figure 2 isV a front view of the upper portion of the feeder, the legs of the stand and the motor being broken away.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the feeder. l g

Figure 4 is a detail plan View of a `live point used in the feeder.

in the drawings there is shown a stand 1i, or package feederstructure, having four legs l2. The lower end of each leg is provided with a franged wheel i3 so that the stand may travel along tracks parallel to a package feeder conveyor 14. Packages 1d are guided in their travel along the conveyor so that when they come against a stop 16 adjacent one side of the frane they will form a row i7 of packages. Tins stop i6 may be secured to the stand il or to the frame of the conveyor. The drawings show only a portion of the top and bottom runs of an endless belt conveyor. The form of the conveyor is immaterial. The result desired is that a row of packages be formed adjacent the stand and that as soon as `one row is removed from this position anothenrow ice begins to form in the same position and is so formed when a pusher bar 21 has returned to its original p0- sition from that shown in Figure 1 ready for another cycle.

The pusher bar 21, in its home, or original, position is between the row of packages and the stand 11, parallel to the row, and close to the row. The pusher bar has movement in two degrees, but is always parallel to its original position and the row of packages. The movement of the pusher bar is divided into two parts, the simple forward movement away from the stand when it moves the packages olf the conveyor and across a table 22 when there is only one degree of movement, horizontal; and the second part, movement toward the stand, when the bar raises to clear a newly forming row 17 as the bar moves toward its original position, and during vwhich secon-d part it has movement in two degrees, horizontal and vertical. t

The pusher bar is xedly secured adjacent each of its ends by means of an upwardly extending gusset 23, or cam follower, to the end of an arm 24, 25. The other end of each of these arms is secured by a pivot pin 26 to a slide rail 27, 28, and these slide rails are joined together by cross members Z9 to form a complete slide. The arms and slide rails are normal to the pusher bar. The slide rails Vare formed of angle irons with an inward flan-ge, and extend Vforward toward the pusher bar far enoughl so that when the pusher bar is in its original position the arrnswill rest on the inward flange of the rails. Each slide rail 27, 28 rests in and moves in a guide 31, 32 in thefform of an angle iron secured to the stand 11. .These guides extend forward beyond the stand legs and over the conveyor V14.

Secured beneath and'to each guide where it extends over the conveyor is a live point 33, 34. These live points in their action may becalled pass-by-pawls, or one-way-cams. Each'live point is in the form of a wedge'shaped flat plate with the faces thereof arranged in the horizontal. The narrow, or pointed, end of each is pivotally secured to the contiguous guide by a pin 35, and this end pointstoward the rear o-f the `stand and guide. A pin and slot arrangement 36 between the live point and its supporting guide, limits the pivotal movement of the live point. .Each of the live points is spring urged inward of the stand, toward each other, by a spring 37 held in compression between the outer edge of the live point and a bracket 38 secured to the stand.

The live points are so arranged and constructed that as the pusher Vbar moves outward, the front edge 41 of each of the gussets23, which secure the bar to its pivotal arms 24, 25, contacts the inside edge 42 of a live point 33, 34, and as the pusher bar advances the live points will be moved aside. As the pusher moves back from its foremost position, the back edge 43 of each gusset contacts the end edge 44 of a live point and thereby the gussets and the pusher bar are raised to an upward position 45 so that the bar rides on and across the top surfaces of the live points until the bar-drops olf the live points near their pivots to its original position. The back edge 43 of each gusset is formed with a reverse curve so that the upward acceleration of the pusher bar will be low. lt would seem obvious that other forms of the liver point might be used. The result desired is that the bar raise above the line of'packages during its return to its original position. Y K

The slide 27, 28, 29 is moved back and forth in its guides by a simple straight line reversible direction chain drive which has its limits of movement set by stops secured tothe chain which stops contact a limit switch connected to and controlling a reversing motor. The drive for the chain comprises a pair of shafts 51, 5K2 journaledin `bearings securedv to the stand 11, and jour- 3 naled with their axes transverse the direction of travel of the slide; and a sprocket wheel 53 secured near the end of each shaft and the side o f the stand for coaxial rotation withthe shaft. The two sprockets adjacent ,each side of ,the stand are aligne,d ,V 11d on each .side va continu- OllS .Chain 5S, ,56 cpasses from one ,to the otherand therearound. A bracket 57 is secured between each chain and the slide so .that the slide will move with the chains. The Aforward ,shaft H5 1 has secured ,thereon ,and inboard of 111.6 Sprocket 53 va driven sprocket 58 which is driven by a motor chain 59 passing over Athe driven sprocket and a drive sprocket 61 Ysecured on the drive shaft of a reversing motor 62. Controls for the motor are mounted in ,a box .'63 and the direction of rotation ofthe motor is controlled jby a reversing switch 64 mounted on the stand adjacent -the lower run `o f one .of .the drive chains 5 5, S6 where its switch `arm maybe contacted by spaced apart switch operating 4lugs 66, 67 secured to the drive chain. These lugs are spaced'apart and the switch is so located that the motor will be reversed in its Ydirection of rotation as the slide reaches each end of its desired movement. The .length ,of the slide movement`and its points of reversing direction are adjustable by the -selection of the positions of these lugs and the switch. A

manual switch 68 will stop the motor from cycling when` so desired. Further, feelers or devices may be installed in the motor control circuit to stop the operation of the motor when a full row of packages is not aligned on the conveyor before the feeder vpusher bar.

'With the conveyor 14 in operation and delivering packages against the step 16 to form a row 17 thereof, the feeder is ready Vfor operation which may be initiated by manual actuation of the control switch 68. If the feeder is in home position with the pusher bar 21 to the right, Figure l, and between the row of packagesV and the stand 11, starting of a cycle of operation of the feeder will cause the motor to drive the slide drive chains S5, `56 in a direction to move Athe slide 27, 28, 29 outward, and therewith the pusher bar arms 24, and pusher bar 21. As the pusher bar moves outward, the `row of packages 17 will move transversely of the conveyor 14 and onto the table 22, the forward edge 41 of the gusset 23 will contact the inclined edge 42 of each of the live points 33, 3,4 -to pivot them out of the way, and the motion of the pusher bar will be in a straight line. While the present disclosure shows the packages being fed to a table, this feeder was invented particularly to feed packages to a plate freezer of the type shown in applicants copending application S. N. 289,638, filed May 23, 1952. When the pusher bar reaches the desired outward limit kof movement, ,the lug 66 secured to the left side slidedrive rchain 56 will contact the reversingswitch 64 to reverse the lrotational sense of the motor 62 Yand the directional sense of the slide. The pusher bar will then travel inward to the stand in a straight :line until the rear -edge 43 of ,each of the Ygussets 23 contacts the short edge 44 of a live pointV 34. The live points will then force the -pusher `barand its arms 24, 25 upward as the curved gusset'edge 42 rides on the short ,edge of the live point until each end of the pusher bar will ride on and travel across the top face of a live point until it reaches the rear of the live point when the bar will then drop Vinto home position. When in this position `the'lug 67 will contact the reversing switch to again reverse the motor and drive the pusher forward and outward. Y

The live pointsare so placed `over the conveyorthat the pusher bar upon its return will not contact any packages that may 'be thereon` 'The left end of the pusher bar, the end away from the package stop 16, may be used to hold back packages on the V conveyor as the bar crosses the conveyor, but, ,as `soon as the barclears the convQYOr, a new line may start to form and .continue to yform until the bar has k,returned .to home position and ,again moves outward. A special stop may ,be usedtogholdthegfeeding @packages while .theibar is srcssingfthe .conveyon With this package feeder, the feeding operation may be continuous until the feeding is nished when the manual switch 68 may be used ,to stop the feeder. No stopping of the feeder is required while each line of packages is being formed as a new line may be started as soon as the previous one leaves the conveyor.

Having thus described my invention, an embodiment thereof, and its functioning,`-l claim:

l. A package feeder, comprising: afeeder stand having formed thereon slide frame guides for guiding in reciprocatory movement a slide frame; a slide frame adapted to have reciprocatory-movement on said guides;

l a pusher bar andrpusher bar arms forming a pusher, each end of said bar having connected dthereto one end of one of said arms; a pivot for the other end of each of said arms pivctally connecting each arm to said frame so that said bar extends transversely of the direction of movement of said frame, and so that said bar may be moved by said frame and may pivot transversely of itself; a pass-by-pawl associated with said stand and said pusher and guiding said pusher so that as said pusher bar moves away .from said stand it will move at a lower level than when moving toward said stand whereby said bar will act in the nature of aratchetpawl to move material .away from said stand and to ride over such material as said bar returns toward said stand.

2. Apackage feeder, comprising: a conveyor adapted to deliver packages in a row, a feeder stand adjacent to such conveyor and alongside sucli` row, said standV having formed thereon slide frame guides for guiding a slide frame in reciprocatory movement transversely of said row, a slide frame adapted to have reciprocatory movement on said guides, a pusher bar and pusher bar arms forming a pusher, arm pivots, said bar being parallel to said row and pivotally supported on said frame by said arms and pivots, a drive for said slide frame-whereby said pusher bar will sweep back and forth across said row, and a pass-by-pawl associated with said stand andv said pusher and guiding said pusher so `that as said'bar moves in one direction across said row it will remove packages therefrom and as it moves inthe other direction it will rise and pass above said row.

3. A package feeder, comprising: a stand, 'horizontal guides on said stand, a slide mounted for reciprocatory movement in said guides, a pusher bar, arms secured at one end of each to said bar and lpivoted at the other end of each to said slide so that said bar may have movement transversely of said slide, cam means for raising said bar in one directional sense of movement but not in the other sense, a chain secured to said slide, a motor connected to said chain for reciprocatory movement thereof and of said slide and bar. 4

4. Apackage vfeeder adapted to move a row of packages, comprising: a live point cam, a pusher bar arranged along -side of and parallel Yto such row, means for giving said bar movement transversely of said row, and follower means associated with lsaid bar for contact with said `live point so that said follower means will pass over said point when said bar moves in one directional sense but not when said bar moves in the opposite sense, and so that said bar will ypass over such row when moving in one of such senses but will move such row when it is moving in the other of such senses.

5. A package feeder, adapted to move a row of packages, comprising: a pusher bar arranged along side of and parallel to such row, means for giving said'bar movement transversely of said row, and a live point cam and a follower for said cam, interengagement of said cam and follower controlling the position of said bar so vthat when said bar moves in one vdirection transversely of such row vit will pass over such row but when moving in a direction oppositely to said one direction it will ymove such row.

V6. A package feeder adapted -to move a row of packages and comprising: a stand, a pusher vbar arranged alongside .of and parallel to such muret-packages, means for moving said pusher bar relative to said stand in oppolower members being ggeable to raise said pusher bar site directions transversely of such row of packages genover such row of packages by movement of said pusher erally horizontally, and cooperating cam and follower bar in the opposite direction.

members, one of said members being mounted for movement with said pusher bar and the other of said members 5 References Cited in the me 0f this Patent being mounted on said stand, and one of said members UNITED STATES PATENTS being mounted for movement relative to its mounting structure by interengagement of said members effected /.mmset al i by movement of said pusher bar in one direction in which an uren ep it moves such row of packages, and said cam and ol- 10 

